Power Outage = Power Reading

We were all impressed this week when the power stayed constant despite a storm that delivered record snowfall amounts in a short space of time. The snow was deep, but dry. Unlike the storm a few weeks back that was thick and wet. During this previous weather event, snow snapped branches and power lines failed when trees toppled. While it’s an inconvenience, power outages have their own rewards. Just curl up with a few blankets, a battery powered booklight, and revel in reading time. This 18 hour power outage helped me successfully meet my 2020 reading challenge. Thirty books in 52 weeks. I probably read a few more, but those are the ones I recorded. This last power outage revealed one problem with our trusty generator. It’s not big enough to power everything simultaneously. So we rotate through a cycle of powering the furnace and water pump, then the refrigerator and some kitchen outlets. This is how I know I can brew a morning cup of coffee. But this year, no coffee. There wasn’t enough voltage for some reason to bring the coffee maker to life. I was ready to hike out to the neighbors because days just don’t start without “a cup of Joe”. As I grew more irritable and impatient, I finally realized hot chocolate made with boiling water on my gas stove would suffice. Since that day, I decided on an inexpensive solution. My husband doesn’t know it yet, but during our Christmas gift exchange, he’s giving me a stove top percolator. I am truly comforted to know, I can enjoy a cup of coffee with or without power. Here’s to many happy hours of reading in 2021!